The present invention relates to a playback device for disk-shaped recording media.
From European Patent No. 0 453 108, a record player for a sound disk and a storage disk is described, which is capable of playing both an audio disk as well as a storage disk. The record player includes a scanning device and an evaluation device for determining whether a disk is an audio disk or a storage disk. In addition, the record player includes a means for beginning the playback of the music of a preselected musical piece, if the evaluation device recognizes the disk as an audio disk. The means also functions to set a pause mode if the evaluation device recognizes the disk as a storage disk. The decision of the evaluation device, as to whether the disk is an audio disk or a storage disk, is based on information that is read out from a start-up area on the disk.
In contrast, the playback device according to the present invention has the advantage that storage data groups recorded on an audio disk are recognized on the basis of supplemental information recorded on the audio disk and are skipped by the scanning device. In this manner, a noise-producing playback of storage data groups on audio disks is prevented and, in addition, the time required for this playback is saved. Thus, the listening pleasure of the user is not impaired by the disturbing and time-consuming playback of storage data groups. Therefore, using the playback device according to the present invention, the result is a more rapid access to the actual audio data groups that are intended for playback.
In this context, it is particularly advantageous that a storage data group is marked by a binary symbol at the beginning of the coded supplemental information recorded with respect to this storage data group, and that the evaluation device recognizes a storage data group after evaluating the binary symbol. In this manner, storage data groups that have just been scanned can be recognized particularly rapidly and can be skipped. In this manner, the loss of time resulting from scanning a storage data group is further reduced.
A further advantage lies in the fact that the evaluation device recognizes a recording medium as an audio disk if at least one audio data group is recorded on the recording medium. In this manner, the refusal of the playback device to play back recording media having only relatively small proportion of audio data is prevented.
A further advantage lies in the fact that, in the event that the evaluation device recognizes the recording medium as a storage disk, a drive motor for the rotational drive of the recording medium switches off, and a scanning device returns to its initial position. In this manner, energy is saved, since the playback of storage disks is not required by the playback device. In addition, in this manner, the user recognizes that the recording medium inserted is not accepted by the playback device.
A further advantage lies in the fact that, in the event that the evaluation device recognizes a recording medium as a storage disk, the additional result is the ejection of the recording medium from the playback device. In this manner, the refusal by the playback device of the recording medium inserted is even more clearly signaled to the user, and the ease of use is increased since the user can remove the recording medium immediately from the playback device without any further operating processes.